Album -DreamsArtist - DJ SpinallRecord Label - TheCap Music (2017)Duration - 35 minutes
DJ Spinall, the young Nigerian man born Sola Oluseye Desmond in Lagos in the 80s, is the very picture of a self-made star.
Discovering the power of expanding the range of his craft early, he’s morphed from the guy who plays at clubs into a bonafide star DJ and music curator without a doubt. After two albums in as many years, his latest outing sees him surrounding himself with some of Nigeria’s biggest – and smoothest – singers to produce a playlist of party, vibes and ‘new wave’ music.
“Dreams” is a total victory; a happy-hour album of back-to-back hits with an inclusive feel which would see him catering to diverse crowds such as the guy on the streets, and the Islandic music nerds with an obsession for everything that is ‘wavy’ and packed full of vibes. Opener ‘Thinking about you’ features the buzzing Niniola. It plays to her strengths as a House banger, drawn from the bars of Johannesburg and commoditized into a dope record.
The rest of the record continue that promise, with Wizkid experimenting with full jazzy horns for the darkly exciting ‘Opoju’. It’s a fresh take for Starboy, whose international ambitions have diversified his music palettes. Harrysong is surprisingly terrific on the Calypso anthem ‘Hanky Panky’,Simi goes all out on the emotional, but party-flavoured ‘Don’t let me go’, and Wande Coal and Davido are on the banging, party-starting ‘Olowo’.
One of the best cuts of the year also makes itself known on ‘Lifetime’, as WurLD states: “When I pull up to see you, give me a reason to see you, promise I will never leave you/If I lose my cool, don’t say I drink too much.” It is simplistic in its design, but impossible not to love; just like DJ Spinall.
Rating: 3.5/5
Ratings
1-Dull2-Boring2.5-Average3-Worth Checking Out3.5-Hot4-Smoking Hot4.5-Amazing5-Perfection